List of 133 Words That Came From Native American Languages


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The English language contains vocabulary from all over the world. Searching for words with specific etymological roots? Check out this list of words that came from Native American languages.
Word Origin
abalone From the Rumsen word awlun, via Spanish.
agouti From Tupi-Guaraní akutí.
alpaca From Aymara allpaqa, via Spanish.
apishamore From Ojibwa apishamon.
atamasco lily From Virginia Algonquian attamusco.
atlatl From Nahuatl ahtlatl.
avocado From Nahuatl āhuacatl, via Spanish aguacate.
axolotl From Nahuatl āxōlōtl.
babiche From Canadian French, of Algonquian origin.
barbecue From American Spanish barbacoa, probably from Taino.
bayou From Choctaw bayuk, via Louisiana French.
cocoa Modification of Spanish cacao, which came from Nahuatl cacahuatl.
caiman From Carib acayuman, via Spanish.
cannibal From Taino Caniba.
canoe From Taino via Spanish canoa.
caribou From Miꞌkmaq γalipu.
cashew From Tupí akajú.
cassava From Taino caçábi, via Spanish.
catalpa From Creek katáłpa.
cay From Taino, via Spanish cayo.
cayenne From Tupí kyinha.
cenote From Yucatec Mayan ts'onot or conot, via Mexican Spanish.
chayote From Nahuatl chayohtli.
cheechako From Chinook Jargon chee (new) + chako (come).
chia From Nahuatl chía.
chicle From Nahautl tzictli.
chili From Nahuatl chīlli.
chinquapin From Virginia Algonquian chechinquamin.
chipmunk Originally "chitmunk," from Ojibwa ačitamo·nʔ.
chocolate From Nahuatl chocolātl.
chuckwalla From Cahuilla čáxwal.
coca From Quechua kuka.
condor From Quechua kuntur, via Spanish.
coontie From Creek kuntí.
copal From Nahuatl copalli.
coyote From Nahuatl coyōtl.
dory From Miskito dóri.
epazote From Nahuatl epazōtl.
eulachon From Chinook Jargon ulâkân.
geoduck From Lushootseed gʷídəq.
guacamole From Nahuatl āhuacamōlli, meaning "avocado sauce."
guan From Kuna kwama.
guanaco From Quechua wanaku, via Spanish.
guano From Quechua wanu, via Spanish.
guava From Taino guayavá, via Spanish.
hammock From Taino, via Spanish hamaca.
hickory From Virginia Algonquian pawcohiccora.
hogan From Navajo hooghan.
hominy From Virginia Algonquian.
hurricane From Taino hurakán, via Spanish.
igloo From Inuktitut iglu.
iguana From Arawak iwana.
Inca From Quechua inka.
jaguar From Tupi jawára or jaguara, via Portuguese.
jaguarundi From Guarani yaguarundi.
jerky From Quechua ch'arki, via Spanish charquí.
kachina From Hopi qacína.
kayak From Inuktitut qayaq.
kinkajou From Algonquian, via French quincajou.
kinnikinnick From Algonquian.
lagniappe From Quechua yapa, via American Spanish la ñapa.
llama From Quechua, via Spanish.
maize From Taino mahiz, via Spanish maíz.
malamute From Inupiat malimiut.
manatee From Carib, via Spanish manatí.
mangrove From Taino, via Spanish mangle or Portuguese mangue.
manioc From Tupí maniʔóka or mandiʔóka.
maraca From Tupí maraká.
mesquite from Nahuatl mizquitl.
moccasin From Virginia Algonquian mockasin.
moose From Eastern Abenaki mos.
mugwump From Algonquian.
mukluk From Yupik maklak.
muskeg From Creek maskēk.
muskrat From Algonquian.
nanook From Inuktitut nanug.
nopal From Nahuatl nohpalli.
ocelot From Nahuatl ōcēlōtl.
opossum From Algonquian aposoum or opassom.
pampa From Quechua.
pemmican From Creek pimihkān.
persimmon From Virginia Algonquian pessemmin.
petunia From Tupí petɨ́ma.
peyote From Nahuatl peyotl.
piki From Hopi píki.
pipsissewa From Eastern Abenaki kpipskwáhsawe.
piranha From Tupí pirã́ja.
pogonip From Shoshone paγɨnappɨh.
poncho From Mapudungun pontho.
pone From Virginia Algonquian appone.
potato From Taino, via Spanish batata.
potlatch From Nootka p̓aƛp̓ač, via Chinook Jargon patlač.
powwow From Narragansett powwaw.
puccoon From Virginia Algonquian poughkone.
puma From Quechua, via Spanish.
pung From an Algonquian language.
quahog From Narragansett poquaûhock.
quetzal From Nahuatl quetzalli.
quinine From Quechua kina, via Spanish quina.
quinoa From Quechua kinua.
raccoon From Virginia Algonquian raugroughcun.
sachem From Narragansett sâchim.
sagamore From Eastern Abenaki sakəma.
salal From Lower Chinook salál.
sapodilla From Nahuatl tzapotl.
savanna From Taino zabana.
skookum From Lower Chehalis skwəkwə́m.
skunk From Proto-Algonquian *šeka·kwa.
soroche From Quechua surúchi.
squash (fruit) From Narragansett askútasquash.
succotash From Narragansett msíckquatash.
tamale From Nahuatl tamalli.
tapioca From Tupí tɨpɨʔóka.
tapir From Tupí tapiʔíra.
terrapin From Virginia Algonquian *tōrəpēw.
tobacco Via Spanish tabaco, probably from Taino.
toboggan From Miꞌkmaq tobâgun.
tomahawk From Virginia Algonquian tamahaac.
tomato From Nahuatl tomatl.
totem From Ojibwa nindoodem or odoodeman.
toucan From Tupí tukána.
tuckahoe From Virginia Algonquian tockawhoughe.
tule From Nahuatl tōllin.
tullibee From Ojibwa oto·lipi, via French toulibi.
tupelo From Creek ito opilwa.
vicuña From Quechua wik'uña, via Spanish.
wampum From Narraganset wampompeag.
wapatoo From Creek wāpatowa.
wickiup From Fox wiikiyaapi.
wigwam From Eastern Abenaki wìkəwam.
woodchuck Related to Narragansett ockqutchaun.
yaupon From Catawba yą́pą.
yuca From Taino.